If my experience in the Northern Territory taught me anything it was that it is impossible for the average Australian to understand the difficulties our first nation people face.

Reverend Glenn Loughrey, indigenous priest in Glen Iris, compares their predicament with Exile, ie.home-less-ness, being without place and identity, and he draws on comparisons with the exile faced by the Hebrew people in the Old Testament. They deal with a loss of country and identity through the impact of the dominant culture.

We held an ecumenical service last Wednesday to think about Reconciliation and what it means to our country. We took up Rev Glen’s challenge to think about the experience of exile shared by many of the indigenous people in this country. People, who have been moved off country, found themselves powerless and homeless and have struggled with the challenge posed by the dominant society.

We also considered that Reconciliation is the action of coming together to make this country our country, requiring us to deal honestly with the past, to acknowledge its failures and tragedies, and come together to build a future out of the ashes of exile.

Rev Glen suggests that Exile can be the end or the beginning. It is up to us to decide which it is going to be.

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About the author

Rev. Jenny is an ordained Priest of the Anglican Diocese delivering services at Anglican Parish of the Otway churches every week.

With great depth of knowledge and a spiritual practice that shows she walks her talk and has taken her to the far reaches of N.T. Australia working with indigenous youth and elders.

Rev. Jenny embraces diversity of Christian viewpoints. Her enthusiasm for children learning about their connection to God is infectious. The church services are people-centred and friendly. For more information ﻿﻿﻿﻿Click Here!﻿﻿﻿﻿